Over 400 farmers from Kalingangar, Sukinda, Bamnipal and Gopalpur areas attend ‘Vaartaa’– A farmers’ meet to learn from experts

To provide a platform to farmers for interaction with scientists to learn modern agricultural technologies, valuable facts about crops and how to deal with agricultural issues they face on the fields, Tata Steel organised a Farmers meet on February 29, 2016. More than 400 farmers belonging to the periphery villages of Kalinganagar, Sukinda, Bamnipal and Gopalpur attended the ‘Vaartaa’ meet organised at Sukinda Bhawan.

Mr Pritiranjan Ghadai, MLA, Sukinda inaugurated the meet in presence of Mrs Bhagawati Mohanta, chairperson, Sukinda Block, Mr Bibekananda Bose, Vice-Chairperson, Sukinda Block, Mrs Lalita Ray, Chairperson, Danagadi block, and other local PRI members. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Gadhai said, agriculture has been our main source of livelihood in the past and has the potential to engage the unemployed youths. Use of modern technology can make agriculture profitable. In developed states, people who practice agriculture are rich as they deploy advanced agriculture techniques therefore our ways of doing agriculture also has to develop.

Dr Sanjaya Saha, Principal Scientist (Agronomy), Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack, Dr Pradeep Kumar Panda from State Seed Testing Laboratory, Bhubaneswar, Mr Bijay Kumar Rout, Scientist, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Badachana (Cuttack) and Prof. Barada P Panigrahi from Sri Sri University, Cuttack joined as resource persons and interacted with farmers.

Thanking Tata Steel for organising the event, Mr Abdul Alim Khan, ADM, Kalinganagar, said, ‘This is an innovative programme in agriculture. I am very happy that Tata Steel has organised it, which has potential to bring positive change in an area’. Mr Debdoot Mohanty, Head, CSR, Jharkhand and New Initiatives, Mr Ambika Prasad Nanda,Head, CSR, Odisha, Tata Steel also attended the meeting.

About Tata Steel
Established in 1907 as Asia's first integrated private sector steel company, Tata Steel Group is among the top global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of nearly 30 million tonnes per annum (MnTPA). It is now the world's second-most geographically-diversified steel producer, with operations in 26 countries and a commercial presence in over 50 countries. The Tata Steel Group, with a turnover of US$ 22.32 billion in FY 15, has over 80,000 employees across five continents and is a Fortune 500 company. The Group’s vision is to be the world’s steel industry benchmark in “Value Creation” and “Corporate Citizenship” through the excellence of its people, its innovative approach and overall conduct. Underpinning this vision is a performance culture committed to aspiration targets, safety and social responsibility, continuous improvement, openness and transparency. In 2008, Tata Steel India became the first integrated steel plant in the world, outside Japan, to be awarded the Deming Application Prize 2008 for excellence in Total Quality Management. In 2012, Tata Steel became the first integrated steel company in the world, outside Japan, to win the Deming Grand Prize 2012 instituted by the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers.

Chief, Corporate Communications, India and SEA